Charles e



(No Model.)

G.EI.BENTLEY.

TOY.

No.488,53'7. PatentedDed. 27,1892.

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-UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES E. BENTLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TIOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,537, dated December27, 1892.

Application filed July 30, 1892. Serial No. 441,646. (NomodeL) To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BENTLEY, residing at the city of NewYork, county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful ToyBalance, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a simple, inexpensive and attractive toy adaptedmore especially for children at the sea-shore, where by use of theabundant sand they maybe pleasantly and instructively entertained.

The invention will first be described and then will be particularlydefined in claims hereinafter set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure l, is a perspective view ofatoy balance embodying myinvention,partly broken away, and changed positions during operationbeing indicated by dottedlines, and Fig.

2, is a View of the apparatus folded as when out of use and forconvenient carriagein the hand.

In the preferred form of the invention I use a staff or support A,preferably pointed at one end to allow it to be easily pushed into thesand or earth to be supported in inclined position thereby. Any approvedmeans may be provided for sustaining at the upper end or part of thestafi a pail or reservoir B, adapted to hold sand or other flowingsubstance and provided with a suitable small outlet b, through which thesand escapes more or less quickly. As a simple means of attaching thepail to the staff, I notch or slot the end of the staff at a, and slipthe handle of the pail into the notch, as shown in the drawings.

To the staff A, is fulcrumed or pivoted at c, a lever O, which at oneend carries a plate or vessel D, adapted to receive sand or othersubstance flowing from the pail or reservoir B. The lever also carriesany preferred audible signal or automaton which will sound or be causedto move attractively as the lever tilts and returns to normal position.The drawings show an audible signal comprising a gong bell E, heldsuitably to the lever O, and preferably to a cross piece or plate 0,fixed to the upper face of the two side bars or membell E, is bypreference a little heavier than its opposite end carrying the sandreceiving plate or vessel D. .Obviously, any approved automaton adaptedto make odd or grotesque movements attractive to a child, may besubstituted on the lever for the audible signal shown, or any other formor style of audible signal which will be sounded when the lever tilts,may be employed.

If the parts were suitably proportioned, the signal or automaton support0, of the lever would itself form a stop against the staff, but I preferto provide a separate stop, made preferably in the form of abutton orcross bar F, which is pivoted atf, to the'staff near the lever fulcrumc, and whereby I make the action of the apparatus automatic. Thispivoted stop F, may be folded into line with the staff and to liebetween the side bars of the.

lever to allow the staff, lever and stop to be folded very compactly, asshown in Fig. 2, of the drawings.

When the staff A, is stuck into the sand or is otherwise suitablysupported, and the stop F is turned across beneath the lever O, and theperforated pail or reservoir B, is hung on the staff and filled withsand as shown in Fig. l, of the drawings, the sand will flow from thepail Opening 1), onto the lever plate or vessel D, until the lever tiltsby the weight of sand thereon, and as indicated by dotted f lines inFig. 1, and discharges the sand from the plate, whereupon the leverwillat once tilt upward again to normal position against the stop F, andthe contact or impact of the lever on the stop will jar or bouncethelever sufficientlyto cause the signal E, to sound, or would givemovements to an automaton figure should the latter be used on the leverinstead of the audible signal. As the stream of sand falling from thepail B, again accumulates on the plate or vessel D, the tilting movementof the lever will be repeated, and all a child need do to assureconstant automatic action of the apparatus is to keep the pail B,supplied with sand or other suitable flowing material. It is a verysimple matter to remove the pail or reservoir B, from the staff and pullthe staff from the sand or ground and then turn the button F, onequarter around and finally fold the lever to the staff and the Wholeapparatus is then in very compact form and may be easily carried by achild along with a sand shovel or other playthings.

I am not limited to the use of a single audible signal or automaton onthe lever, as more than one of these may be used and be operated as thelever tilts or rocks in either direction or above and below thehorizontal plane at either side of its fulcrum, as will readily beunderstood.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A toy balance, comprising a staff or support, a lever fulcrumedthereon and adapted to hold an overbalancing substance at one side ofits fulcrum, and carrying an audible signal or an automaton; and areservoir discharging sand or other flowing substance onto the lever totilt or overbalance it and operate the signal or automaton,substantially as described.

' 2. An automatic toybalance, comprising a staff or support, aleverfulerumed thereon and adapted to hold an overbalancing substance atone side of its fulcrum and carrying an audible signal or automaton; areservoir discharging sand or other flowing substance on to the lever totilt or overbalance it, and a stop operating the audible signal orautomaton on the tilting movement of the lever, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination in a toy balance, of a staff or support,a reservoirsustained thereon and adapted to discharge sand or other flowingsubstance, and a lever fulcrumed on the staff and carrying a plate orvessel receiving the material from the reservoir, and an audible signalor automaton operative as the lever tilts or rocks, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, in an automatic toy balance. of a staff or support,a reservoir sustained thereon and adapted to discharge sand or otherflowing substance, a lever fulcrumed on the staff and carrying a plateor vessel receiving the material from the reservoir, an audible signalor automaton operative as the lever tilts or rocks, and a stop on thestaff temporarily holding the lever in normal position and operating thesignal or automaton, substantially as described.

5. In a toy balance comprising a stafi or support and a lever thereonadapted to carry a sand receiver and provided with an audible signal orautomaton, substantially as described, said staff and lever adapted tofold together, as set forth.

6. In an automatic toy balance comprising a staff or support, aleverthereon adapted to carry a sand receiver and provided with an audiblesignal or automaton, and a stop limiting tilting movement of the leverand operating the signal or automaton, said staff, lever, and stopfolding together for carriage or transportation, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination, in a toy balance, of a stafi A, reservoir B, leverO, fulcrumed to the staff and having a sand receiving plate D, and anaudible signal E, and a stop F, on the staff for the lever,substantially as described.

CHARLES E. BENTLEY.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH STARKEY, R. H. HARDING, J r.

